Here's a look at a few local issues that may drive conversations in the boardroom, the classroom, at the water cooler and at the dinner table this year.

1. Elections

We will see different faces on the Huntsville City School Board of Education this year, as city elections are set for August. Board president David Blair announced that he would be running for Paul Sanford's state senate seat in November and board member Jennie Robinson announced her candidacy to fill Huntsville City Councilman John Olshefski's seat. Board member Topper Birney will not seek re-election for a third term after 12 years of serving on the board. Three new faces could join Mike Culbreath and Laurie McCaulley.

2. ACT Stipend Plan

With the Huntsville City School board's approval in early December, the district will offer high school juniors stipends for their outstanding academic efforts on the ACT test in the spring. Students have the chance to earn $50 per benchmark score and an additional $100 if they exceed or meet the composite benchmark score. That means students have an opportunity to receive up to $300. This is the first time the district has offered an incentive to students for their performance on the standardized test. AL.com voters weren't too keen on the idea of the district giving students monetary awards for their performance on the ACT exam, but students will ultimately decide if the idea was a good one or not.

3. Pre-K Programs

Look for early childhood education to continue growing. Funding for First Class, the state's voluntary pre-kindergarten program, increased from $19.1million to $28.5 million for the 2013-2014 school year. Pre-k advocates are expecting Gov. Robert Bentley to recommend another funding increase when the Legislature convenes Jan. 14.

Through federal, state, and local funding, pre-K programs in Huntsville City Schools have flourished by more than 450 percent over the last two years. The Madison City School Board approved the purchase of a former daycare center last year with plans to turn it into a new school in anticipation of an increase in the district's pre-k program.

Alabama is only one of four states to rank among the nation's highest in pre-k education, according to the National Early Education Research Institute.

What are some other local education issues that we'll be talking about in 2014? Let us know your comments.